Structure

Posted by Miranda on October 30, 2001 at 22:10:37:

We've been talking about how identity can be formed by class processes, and today we were talking about how capitalism can change the way people live. For example, instead of a small, friendly community in which everyone socializes and works together, capitalism often produces very structured communities in which people become alienated from each other (because they work on schedules).

My roommate and I were actually arguing about this last night: She says that if she didn't have school and if most people didn't have jobs, they wouldn't know what to do with themselves, they would watch tv all the time and get depressed. I say if I could structure my own time, like I'm having more of a chance to do here in college, I could do much cooler things with my time. She just thinks that people are naturally in need of structure and that they can't produce it for themselves. I can maybe agree that some people need structure in their lives, but maybe we'd all be better at producing our own structure if we were ever given the chance.

From day one of kindergarten, or even preschool for some of us, we have been on someone else's regimented schedule. Except for the freedoms offered by lenient parents, summers, or maybe college life, we've all been operating like robots. So it's no wonder that my roommate doesn't feel like she could structure her own time productively. What about everyone else, do you feel like you need your tasks assigned by some higher power to keep your life in order?